Аннотация:Till recently the Russian-Norwegian cross-border region had reputation of an exemplary contact and collaboration zone between the West and the East of Europe. The long-established peaceful border, Barents cooperation as well as a 30-km visa-free zone for borderlanders are some of the key features of that area. However, in 2015 when 5,500 migrants and refugees were transiting through the region, the previously achieved reciprocal understanding and trust became questioned.
Based on media-analysis and fieldwork data, the chapter describes how processing of asylum-seekers was arranged and performed in two border towns, Nikel and Kirkenes. While the migrant transit across the Russian-Norwegian border was over by the end of 2015, its repercussions for sides involved are still present today. One of them is a profound mismatch in perceiving the challenge of international migration on two sides of the border. Verbal and behavioral expressions of borderlanders’ attitudes to the Arctic migrants presented in the chapter provide ample evidence to it. As follows from interview analysis, one of principal reasons for asymmetry in welcoming cultures between the studied Russian and Norwegian border municipalities is their experience in receiving refugees with different cultural heritage or lack thereof.
